Alternatives to VMware Fusion
VMs on the Mac from VMware
VMware Fusion ranks #7 of 9 in Virtualization software, with an Alt Score of 73. It is proprietary, free and available on macOS. 9 of 10 checklist rows are verified against a public source.
Mac users—developers, IT professionals, and hobbyists—who need to run Windows, Linux, or other operating systems alongside macOS on Intel or Apple Silicon Macs.
A type-2 desktop hypervisor for creating and running virtual machines on macOS, with support for many Linux distributions and Windows 11 on ARM (Intel-based Windows VMs are not native on Apple Silicon). Fusion Pro includes snapshots, cloning, virtual TPM, and DirectX 11/OpenGL graphics support. It's free for personal use (no license key needed); commercial or revenue-generating use requires a paid license.
You install Fusion on your Mac, create a new VM by pointing it at an OS installer or existing disk image, and configure virtual hardware (CPU, memory, disk, network) before booting the guest OS in its own window or full screen alongside native macOS apps.
Why people leave VMware Fusion
Dashed reasons are sourced facts; the rest are opinions. Vendors can dispute.
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Ranked alternatives
Ordered by Alt Score. Click any score to see the breakdown.
Feature comparison
Rows come from the Virtualization software checklist (14 rows). Human-verified cells only. ? means the value has not been verified.
| Virtualization software checklist | VMware Fusion | QEMU | VirtualBox | UTM | Multipass | Proxmox VE |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pricing model | ||||||
| Starts at | ||||||
| License | ||||||
| Platforms | ||||||
| Host platforms | ||||||
| Guest OS breadth | ||||||
| Snapshots | ||||||
| GPU passthrough | ||||||
| Free for personal use | ||||||
| Shared folders & clipboard | ||||||
| Headless / server mode | ||||||
| Apple Silicon support | ||||||
| Open source | ||||||
| Performance overhead |
Every fact and feature listed for VMware Fusion is verified against its own pages. Each alternative is sourced on its own page.
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License Proprietary verified 2026-07-11
Broadcom" refers to Broadcom Inc. and/or its subsidiaries."
Copyright © 2005-2026 Broadcom. All Rights Reserved. The term
https://techdocs.broadcom.com/us/en/vmware-cis/desktop-hypervisors/fusion-pro/13-0/using-vmware-fusion.html -
Pricing model Free verified 2026-07-11
Starting November 11, 2024, these powerful desktop hypervisor products will be available for free to everyone—commercial, educational, and personal users alike.
https://blogs.vmware.com/cloud-foundation/2024/11/11/vmware-fusion-and-workstation-are-now-free-for-all-users/ -
Platforms macOS verified 2026-07-11
Any Mac that officially supports macOS 12 Monterey or later
https://techdocs.broadcom.com/us/en/vmware-cis/desktop-hypervisors/fusion-pro/13-0/using-vmware-fusion/getting-started-with-vmware-fusion/system-requirements-for-vmware-fusion.html -
Status active verified 2026-07-11
We are excited to announce the general availability of VMware Workstation 26H1 and VMware Fusion 26H1
https://blogs.vmware.com/cloud-foundation/2026/05/14/announcing-vmware-workstation-and-fusion-26h1/ -
Host platforms Partial verified 2026-07-11
Any Mac that officially supports macOS 12 Monterey or later
https://techdocs.broadcom.com/us/en/vmware-cis/desktop-hypervisors/fusion-pro/13-0/using-vmware-fusion/getting-started-with-vmware-fusion/system-requirements-for-vmware-fusion.html -
Guest OS breadth Yes verified 2026-07-11
Fusion Pro supports more than 100 guest operating systems, including most versions of Windows, Linux, Mac OS X, OS X, and macOS.
https://techdocs.broadcom.com/us/en/vmware-cis/desktop-hypervisors/fusion-pro/13-0/using-vmware-fusion/understanding-vmware-fusion/virtual-machines-and-what-vmware-fusion-can-do.html -
Snapshots Yes verified 2026-07-11
Taking a snapshot in Fusion Pro lets you preserve the state of the virtual machine so that you can return to that state.
https://techdocs.broadcom.com/us/en/vmware-cis/desktop-hypervisors/fusion-pro/13-0/using-vmware-fusion/protecting-your-virtual-machines/snapshots.html -
GPU passthrough Partial verified 2026-07-11
The purpose of this article is to provide steps for disabling 3D acceleration feature on VMware Workstation and VMware Fusion.
https://knowledge.broadcom.com/external/article/344376/how-to-disable-3d-acceleration-feature-o.html -
Free for personal use Yes verified 2026-07-11
VMware Desktop Hypervisor (VMware Fusion Pro & VMware Workstation Pro) is available free for Commercial, Educational, and Personal users.
https://knowledge.broadcom.com/external/article/368667/download-and-license-vmware-desktop-hype.html -
Shared folders & clipboard Yes verified 2026-07-11
With Fusion Pro, you can move and share files between a virtual machine and your Mac.
https://techdocs.broadcom.com/us/en/vmware-cis/desktop-hypervisors/fusion-pro/13-0/using-vmware-fusion/working-with-your-virtual-machines/moving-and-sharing-files-with-your-mac.html -
Headless / server mode Yes verified 2026-07-11
You can use the vmcli command-line utility in Fusion Pro to interact with the hypervisor from the macOS terminal window.
https://techdocs.broadcom.com/us/en/vmware-cis/desktop-hypervisors/fusion-pro/13-0/using-vmware-fusion/using-vmcli-to-control-virtual-machines.html -
Apple Silicon support Yes verified 2026-07-11
Is Apple Silicon fully supported in Fusion? A. Yes. Fusion for Apple Silicon supports many Linux distributions and Windows 11 for ARM.
https://www.vmware.com/docs/desktop-hypervisor-faqs -
Open source No verified 2026-07-11
Broadcom" refers to Broadcom Inc. and/or its subsidiaries."
Copyright © 2005-2026 Broadcom. All Rights Reserved. The term
https://techdocs.broadcom.com/us/en/vmware-cis/desktop-hypervisors/fusion-pro/13-0/using-vmware-fusion.html
FAQ
Yes. QEMU, VirtualBox and UTM have a free tier or are fully free. Free-tier limits in the comparison table are verified and dated.
QEMU, VirtualBox and UTM — every license claim links its source.